Can’t say I’m the biggest Dalai Lama fan, but I just read this and it hit me like a lightning bolt.

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:

“Man.
Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;
the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

A quickie little 5-min meditation with Deepak to help you chill out during your hectic day. Obviously, there are a huge variety of much longer and more in-depth meditations you can practice, but this seemed like a short useful one you can do at your desk without too much prep. Enjoy.

Update 7/27/11 – Whoops… I had “mediation” in a couple of places which made some readers think Deepak got into the legal field. Though I’m sure he’d make a calm and pleasant lawyer, sort of like an Indian Matlock.

In this short 2 min clip, Sagan discusses how humans have evolved as a society, but how we still have dangerous traits that put our world in peril. He’s optimistic that humanity might make a change, but is uncertain. He discusses the benefits of seeing the planet from space, seeing it as a delicate orb, without borders. Love this guy, shame we lost him so early.